Yuji Ishizaki

The important thing for me is how I gaze at the world truthfully!

Interview conducted by Iris Tusa on Dec. 21, 2016

What inspired you to be a photographer, especially a street photographer?

I really love music and movies since I was a child. One day, I found the familiar record jackets and movie posters shot by the greatest photographers like Robert Frank, Mary Ellen Mark, Annie Leibovitz, Lee Friedlander etc. their works impressed me, and I started my new life as a street photographer two years ago.

What inspires you the most in street photography?

I’m interested in the unique atmosphere in the street. The people who don’t know each other with artificially-structured lights and shadows make specific mood, and the unexpected story is likely to happen.

There are someone’s background, current situation, and show ongoing in the street, I mean I can see person’s life comprehensively, and learn about what life is.

Which are your preferred places for shooting (even if photography can be done anywhere), and what makes them outstanding?

Osaka is my home town and I like to go Street from evening to night.

I usually use FujiX100T and Ricoh GR. I like to use prime lens better than zoom lens because prime lens is better for intuitive shot.

I like both B&W and color, but B&W is difficult for me to control the balance of lights. I think color is better because my dream and the real world are all colored, and I’m influenced by Joel Meyerowitz, Stephen Shore, and William Eggleston

I use Light room. I usually use Lens Correction to control exposure, tones, color saturation, and contrast. I crop depending on the case, but do not so much. I don’t like to take a long time to work post-processing. It takes just a few minutes to so post-processing when a good photo is shot. I like to stay in the street better than do post-processing long time.

How do you see your photography in the future. Any regrets, anything you missed?

I’m pleasured of doing street photography as my life work. Lens is the tool not only to take a photo, but also to communicate people, and to learn about "life" In the future, I want to keep transmitting my works with some message to the world, and last of all, I want to say "thank you" to my far-distant friends and people who are fond of my pictures.